Members of Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity performed their own rendition of (Sister Act) at the Delta Zeta Sorority lip-synch competition Saturday. Local sororities and fraternities competed at the fundraiser with donations going to support the Delta Zeta Fou

Credit: Carl Schierhorn

Sequins, tie dye, glitter and fishnets may not seem to have much in common with charity, but to Kent State’s Greek community, these are all a major part of the biggest Greek fundraiser on campus.

Delta Zeta’s annual lip-synch competition was held Saturday night. More than 1,200 people attended the event, nearly filling the Student Center Ballroom.

“The vibe was so good,” said Jill Peterson, a junior speech pathology and audiology major who coordinated the competition. “Everyone seemed really excited.”

Four sororities and eight fraternities were each allotted six-minute time slots during which they danced and “sang” to various pop songs. Chapters were judged on chapter participation, creativity and ability to lip-synch.

Chapters were also encouraged to incorporate Delta Zeta’s name into their performances. Most performers wore DZ clothing, often in the sorority’s signature green and pink colors and displayed hand-painted signs announcing their love for the event’s hostesses. Some chapters got even more creative – the men of Delta Tau Delta taped DZ’s name to the bottoms of their shoes and on the backs of their pants, and the men of Tau Kappa Epsilon painted “TKE loves DZ” on their chests.

Prior to the event, each chapter was coached by two to three members of DZ, who helped choose songs and choreograph dances.

Delta Zeta member Jackie Holmes said she enjoyed watching the differences between the sororities and fraternities.

“The sororities are all about precision and getting everything perfect,” said Holmes, a junior political science major. “The fraternities are just trying to get everything done. The coaches for the fraternities had a lot more work to do.”

The final performer of the night, Sigma Phi Epsilon, walked away with the men’s trophy, and Chi Omega, with their early ’90s song medley and tie-dyed shirts, won the women’s competition. Sigma Nu and Alpha Phi took second place, and Alpha Epsilon Pi and Delta Gamma came in third.

“I felt like we were really good,” said Amanda Bresler, an Alpha Phi performer. “We had a lot of energy and we kept our lips moving.”

Bresler, sophomore psychology major, said she was pleased by the enthusiasm shown by the fraternity men who competed in the event.

“They added a lot more excitement,” she said. “The guys really spice it up.”

The event cost $1 to attend. Peterson said this year’s event raised more than $1,200.

All proceeds will go to the Delta Zeta Foundation, which supports hearing and speech-impaired people throughout the country. According to the event program, all funds are divided among Gallaudet University, a school in Washington, DC, for deaf students; the House Ear Institute, a medical organization that researches hearing loss; and Sound Beginnings, which raises awareness of the need for newborn hearing screenings.

Contact Greek life reporter Kate Bigam at [email protected].